The Ombudsman Watchers' Critique of Ombudsman Schemes (1) (513)

To the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary:
For Clarity - Attempt 513.

513) The Ombudsman Watchers' Critique of Ombudsman Schemes (1).

Dear Mr Clark,
A democracy where sections of the newly privatised state deliberately and methodically - as a matter of policy - refuses to be held to account is no longer a democracy. It has become something else - an executocracy perhaps where managers have captured and rig the economy.

"Democracy: the belief in freedom and equality between people or a system of government based on this belief, in which power is either held by elected representatives or directly by the people themselves.
- few of the Western democracies still have a royal family."
(www.dictionary.cambridge.org)

That would seem to rule out those of us living in the UK.

Naomi Creutzfeld and Chris Gill set out the Ombudsman Watchers' critique of Ombudsman Schemes. They say;
"Through the workshop discussions, we identified four broad themes in terms of the Ombudsman Watchers' critiques of Ombudsman Schemes:
1. Lack of accountability.
2. Procedural and practice issues.
3. Staffing and qualifications
4. The impact of the system on complainants.

(The Ombudsmans61percent believes that there are others)

1. Lack of Accountability:
Several Participants expressed the view that there was a lack of accountability, due to the absence of any effective form of appeal to challenge decisions by ombudsman schemes. Judicial review was regarded as a very limited and inaccessible form of review. Internal reviews are seen as, 'rubber stamping' exercises , which were insufficiently robust and gave very little assurance to complainants. Even where ombudsman schemes used, 'independent reviewers' these provided very little accountability because they were paid by ombudsman schemes and their remit covered administrative and service matters, rather than providing a route of appeal against the substantive decisions of ombudsmen."
(www.oxlaw.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxlaw/critics-of-the-ombudsman-system-understanding-and-engaging-online-activists)

We believe that a fifth theme is the historical context in which ombudsman schemes have evolved and the economic interests they have been deliberately designed to serve. They didn't happen by accident. Somebody must have thought they were a good idea.

Q. Mr Clark, isn't the main function of these highly secretive organisations to serve the interests of business and how is this democratic?

The Ombudsmans61percent Campaign is seeking:
- answers from Vince Cable, Norman Lamb, Mark Prisk, Michael Fallon, Francis Maude, Monk and Partners, The Rev Smith, Dame Janet Finch, Dame Julie Mellor, Jo Swinson, Sajid Javid and yourself.
- a public inquiry into the workings of Ombudsman Services:Property (a company formerly trading as the SOS before undergoing re-branding) and the role of the RICS.
- compensation for the victims of its ombudsman's illogical Final decisions and its executives' maladministration.
- the setting up of a truly, "fair" and "independent" redress scheme free rom RICS influence.

Please feel free to comment or share your story either on the blog or by emailing: shockingsurveys1@gmail.com. Thanks, Steve Gilbert.